The world’s most beloved children’s character is now fair game, well sort of, from January 1st the earliest version of Mickey Mouse officially entered the public domain which means they can be used by anyone, at any time, without permission or payment.
We didn’t have to wait long for a trailer to drop for a slasher film named “Mickey’s Mouse Trap”, the 1.55m trailer includes snippets from Steamboat Willie (1928) and is described as ‘The first ever live action Mickey Mouse comedy horror feature film”
The logline says: “It’s Alex’s 21st Birthday, but she’s stuck at the amusement arcade on a late shift so her friends decide to surprise her, but a masked killer dressed as Mickey Mouse decides to play a game of his own with them which she must survive.”
The film, which was shot, edited and directed by Jamie Bailey and written by Simon Phillips, includes the iconic images of Steamboat Willie projected on screen, while someone in a Mickey Mouse mask stalks the group.
Will the filmmakers face legal consequences? A Disney spokesperson clarified, More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright, and Mickey will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company in our storytelling, theme park attractions, and merchandise,
Disney‘s strongest legal tool to safeguard its Mickey Mouse legacy remains perception. Despite the original incarnation of AA Milne’s character entering the public domain in 2022, the public generally doesn’t associate Disney with projects like last year’s “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.” Nevertheless, any version of Steamboat Willie, Mickey, or Minnie that could lead consumers to believe it originated from Disney could face swift legal action.
